Mailing device



S. A. MARKOFF.

MAILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 191s.

Patented July 13, 192i).

IIIII||| IH|IH|I|III|||. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMI IIIIIIIIIIIIHI lIllIIlII lzvelzZz? UNITED STATES A. MARKOFR. OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

MAILING nnvion.

To all whom t may cof/worn:

Be :it known thatI', SAMUEL A.. MARKOFF, a4 citizen of the` United States, residing at 109 Summerstreet, `city ot Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing Devices; and l do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,` such as will 'enable others skilled in the artito which it `appertains to make and use the same.

My. invention relatesto `a writing device, and has for its objectthe provision of an improved article ofVthis character. More particularly, the aim of the invention is the provision of` a compact and convenient article for Vcorrespondence or writing, which can be .comfortablyn and conveniently carried on the person, and which can be readily used Jfor writing under all circumstances, and which at the same time is in suitable form for transmission through the mails.

The larticle ofthe present invention coin- `prises aimailing device of such shape and configuration as can be Vconveniently carried about in ones pocket. and which can he conveniently used at times' and under- -circumstances which ordinarily are not suited for writing purposes. Thus, the mailing device embodies a rigid platen having flat smooth surface adapted to be conveniently held in the palm of the hand. and having wound thereon a 4relatively long strip of'writingumaterial. such as paper. The writingmaterial is adapted to be secured to `the platen, for transmission through the mails, by attaching 'the free outer end `oi'i' the material to the vnext adjacent inner layerthereo't. Theiiat, smooth. rigid support and the writing material when Vwound thereon form a convenient writing pad which can he comfortably held iu the palm ot the hand and. used under any circumstances; as when standing or sitting, or when riding in car. or the like. or when walking. Furthermorath'e platen is so constructcdthatwhen the writing material is properly wound thereon and secured thereto,ras hereinhetore mentioned, the convolutions of the wound-up writing material cannot he spread apart so as to disclosethe writing thereon.

' The novel features of my invention which l" believe to he patentahle are definitely indicated in the appended claim.` TheY con- Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July is, 1920.

Application led May 9, 1918'. Serial No. 233,584. i

struction oi the improved mailing device together with its advantages willV be better understood from the following description taken in .conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which;

. Figurel is a' plan view of the front or address side of a mailing device embodying the novel features ofthe present invention and preparedrfor transmission through the mails;`

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device shown,

in 1;. and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of holding the device for use in the palm of the hand.

The mailing device comprises a rigid` platen 5, preferably made of Wood because o f .its rigidity and of itsV lightness. `The rigidity of this platen is an important featureoi the present invention, since it pro- M'vides a very suitable writing surface, and when held in the palm "of the hand, as indicated in Fig of the accompanying drawings, constitutes'a very convenient' and satis factory support ffor the writing material.

The platen 5 is relatively long and narrow, and is, generally, of such configuration as to adapt it to be conveniently held in the palm of the hand, as indicated in'Fig.` 3' 4of the drawings.

The platen is of suficient rthickness to give 'the Ydesired rigidity hereinbefore rfeferred to. At its four corners Vthe platen `is' provided with short projecting extensions 6', preferablyintegral with thefmain portion of the platen. Theprojecting eXten- .sions form suitable guides for the woundon writing material, andalso `serve to properly conine the writing material to thefsupport. It will be observed from the foregoing description of the platen, and from the figures of the' drawing, that, generally speaking,` the lplaten is of reel-like configuration. Y 1

y A suitable writing material such as paperior the like, is Wound on the platen'. As many convolutions or layers of the writing material may be wound on the support as desired, and it will be evident that in this manner a relatively long Istrip of paper can 'be very conveniently and compactly associated with the platen. The inner end of the writing material may he pastedor otherwise secured to the platen, or may, if desired, be

iinattached to the `platen, since the outer n 'layers ofthe -woiind-onuwritiiig' material will satisfactorily serve to prevent any slip p pingof the material with respectto theV platen. The free fouterA-endof the Writing-1 material is Vdesigned to be secured tojthe next adjacent inner layer ofthe vmaterial by a suitable gummed `Wafer, such for example,

.as the 'postage stamp 8,1ill'ustrated in Figs( 1 and 2 of the drawings; e

ing material-to be drawntightly about the support .Without dangerV of ruptur-ing `the material. .Thisrounding o rfbeveling ofthe .ends of Ythe support is of particular advantage, since it insures a close and intimate contact between adjacent vlayers orconvolutions of the Writing material, `and -thus.minimiZes the. opportunity of any `unauthorized examination ofythe writing on the Woundup material when sealed 4by the gummed wafer 8. The Writing materialE may thus be l .very` closely 'Wound onthereelflike platen 5;, land rcan beisecurely attaehedfto the sup- `port-by means,k of: the rgumrriedV Water 8.

When thusl closely Wou-nd;- andjl securely attaclied #tothe iQ-laten, it" is `:extremely difficult to pry 'ap-art the convolutions or .l'ayers'of the wound-flip-,-\vriting.g material; and thus Avanyini-Wa-rranted or unauthorized.inspection of the Writing isvefectively prevented.

The Writing' devicefis ofi very convenient `shape and size and f can 'be .carried 'in a vest vpacketWithout inconvenience er discomfort.

From thepoeket it may be ,ftalen eut at: any

time, as when riding in a street car,for jwvalk- .img .along' the street, and used-"tor jotting down notes lorifor 'Writinggot anylnature. `:'llliepl{item-iis itis held in the palm of theV hanchprovides a lrigid-.and satisfactory Writing surface, andA cooperates with the Writing material 4vvoimd--Vthereon' to form I aV Writing padV `which can be' conveniently lused anderV Yciyrenmstances which are notanormailly condneive'to Writing.

Writing materialca-n be Wound aroundthe *.hanel, V preferably by un-Winding halfA a con.

volution .ofthe materia-l` .fandy-carrying'the platen` around the back of the hande-nd u'ntilifthe opposite supptintin-gV side or face is nppenmost-intheV oftheihandgfand ready;i for .the waiting operation. 1 Y During the fepenation ef; turning the yplatenj eX- :pesing fa atreshfsur-ace #et the writingmate- Y f ,rial-, rthe materiaLalready- `Wonnd onf the hand begslipped abo-utkthe; handqto any exitant necessary, tor again properlyv position-:ing the .saEportfin--thef palm-of jthe hand for-Writing- 5. f

f illhegwfritingydevfiee of the present tienl is; llglaafllyY.4 prepared ifor .itransmissim A l Iqniredor further reference; vThe usedor.Written-uponportions ofthe y through the mails, and the outside snrface of the free end of the Writing material is then i provided With'snitable printed guides for` a Vpostal address, as indicated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawing.V In order to provide suiiicient space for the address, the` Writing ma-V terial is preferably so wound, or"o'fsu'ch length, i-tliatits free outer. end comes near tothe end of the support.V The other outside surface of the outer vconvoliition -of Writing material, being exposed "during pleted, the free Aend 'ofthe Writing material is y attached tothe `neXtadjacent layerfof` this transmission, may have printed there'onany Vsuitable advertlsmglnotice, Athejaddress of material lbythe' gumzned Wafer-,=as hereinbe,

`fore described.V The recipienti' has only to remove or break the "sealiffe'fliecte'd .by this lgummed Wafer in'orde'rto loe able tol'unwind Vthe Writing :material from the platen:

A further particnlaradvantagefotthe improved:.imailingfdevice Vof my 4present inven- 'Y tion .is |`the dease :with which it, ymay be employed forfjottirigl dowvnfoccasionally notes wor for' Writing a letteror "message'ininstalments.` Thusfthe mailingdevicev may ibe' ytaken from'the pocket-as occasions for Writ- .-ing' 'present themselveafor as fancy dictates,

and' may jbe univoun'dfto the proper lplace tor the next writingV instalment-- i The 'Writthe platenv and the dev-ice replaced iii-fthe pocket. It" will `lee-observed that the inner convolutions of the Writing material are Veffectively preserved Vfrom Wear-anddirt -W-hilevthe device isf-carried aboutfbetrveen r until the "ing material then he? again Wound' lon can then be Vclesely Wound 4en the platen and attached lthereto Y hy vthe i gumnred Wafer for transmission 'through Vthe vmails .for until re- ;.Byfmakingfthe platenfof Woods-orsi ila-r `pla-ten are flat and smoeth sineefboth Vfaces are usedduring *theI Writing operation-ier supporting :the Writing material. VAsjpre- .vlously mentioned, the relatively long VArow eenii-gniration of; theplaten, thus -enabling itto-be cerfiven-ientlyv vheld 'the palm ,et thailand, Aand itsAV rigidity are-important featureso-i' 4my .imprevedmailing device. Both of these .characteristicsofthe platen,

that is .its -rigidi-tyand itsadaptabilitygte be Y conveniently held in they-palm of the lhand,

are essential tothe rdevice,since only through them can the device be conveniently and comfortably used under the conditions for.

which it is intended. On account of these characteristics the device will be found of particular utility to soldiers in service, since it can he employed for Writing; under conditions `which absolutely preclude the use oit' ordinary writing` materials.

l. claim:

A mailing device comprising a light, rigid, lat, oblong platen having a substantially smooth surface and extensions at opposite sides oi both ends extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of sailgl platen, a continuous web ot writing paper Wound upon said platen in the 'direction oi said longitudinal axis and confined by said. extensions,V said platen having its opposite end edges rounded in the longitudinal direction to prevent rupture of said paper When Wound thereon, the longitudinal edges of said platen being adapted to loe grasped in t the palm of the hand and thereby supported In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SAMUEL A. MRKOFF. 

